TUARAN – The fate of the five Sabah parties applying to join the ruling Sabah coalition, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), will likely be known tonight following concerns that they will go head on with the ruling Sabah coalition.
Sources have told The Vibes that the inclusion of the five parties into the GRS fold will be decided among others at a closed-door GRS supreme council meeting in Kota Kinabalu, near here.
The council will also decide on the seat distribution between GRS components Bersatu, SAPP, Sabah Star, Usno, and PBS.
The five parties are Parti Kesejahteraan Masyarakat led by Datuk Peter Anthony, Liberal Democratic Party led by Datuk Chin Su Pin, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah led by Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah, Parti Cinta Sabah led by Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, and Parti Anak Negeri led by Datuk Henrynus Amin.
Talks have been going round the mill that these parties, although aligned or friendly to GRS, may go against GRS and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the general election as there are currently no arrangements between them and the two alliances.
The Bersatu-led GRS and BN have confirmed their cooperation for the polls although Bersatu and Umno (BN) are going against each other in the peninsula.
However, chairman of both GRS and Sabah Bersatu Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor said when met here today that they will not clash with BN.
“Of course not, they are our allied friends. GRS-friendly parties and allied friends are fighting in the same struggle… We will be with them to ensure our alliance will be strong.
“For these, the parties are given the same opportunity in the elections and together in the same struggle,” Hajiji told reporters at the Bersatu Tuaran division’s conference held here today.
The Vibes noted while all GRS-friendly parties were present at the conference, save for Parti Cinta Sabah leaders.
Earlier, Hajiji has expressed interest in fielding a candidate in the Tuaran parliamentary seat, saying the matter will be discussed at the GRS supreme council meeting tonight.
“After deciding on this, we will then express our intention to our ally, BN.
“So far, talking to BN, it has been all right (for us to take Tuaran), but we still have to make it official,” he said as he expressed no intention of becoming a MP candidate for GRS in Tuaran. – The Vibes, October 13, 2022
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